


Wedding Band Necklace

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Character Death, Death, Future Fic, Growing Old Together, I'm Sorry, Mentions of Cancer, Multi, Near Death, Old Age, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 19:03:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12514300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: An elderly Iris West-Allen gives her daughter, Dawn, the replica of Francine West's wedding band.





	Wedding Band Necklace

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song The Locket by Lauren Alaina, which made me sob. I made Dawn a meteorology major because she's part of the Tornado Twins, ba dum tss.

Iris was always happy when Dawn or Don would visit her. Both of her children were adults now, and without Barry in the house, Iris could get lonely sometimes. Thankfully, her children didn't live far, so they visited her frequently. Iris would always make them brownies. Today, Dawn was devouring an entire batch while telling Iris about her meteorology research for Central City University and her interest in chasing tornados. 

"There's no feeling like it, mom! Seeing a twister up close is like watching a movie with the greatest special effects ever, live!" 

"But you're being safe right?" Iris asked her daughter for the millionth time.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Of course, mom. Jeven has been doing this for years, he knows where it's a safe distance to observe the weather from."

Iris' lips curled into a smile. "How are things between you and Jeven? Are you thinking about... oh, I don't know, maybe marriage? Kids?" She tried to make it sound like it was a laid-back question.

Dawn shook her head. "I know where you're going with this..."

"What? I'm getting old. I want to see some grandkids before I go. Your papa kept pestering your dad and I, so we had you and Don. Now it's my turn to keep the family line intact with our family tradition of annoying insistence." Iris said, dropping any attempt at seeming casual.

Dawn laughed. She looked at the time and realized she was going to be late for her date with Jeven. "Ow, mom I have to go."

"Date night?" Iris asked with a wink.

"Mom......." Dawn blushed. Iris laughed at how Dawn was still just as easy to embarrass as she was in high school.

Dawn shoved a few more bites of brownie in her mouth and started to stand. Iris grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the couch. Dawn, unable to speak with her mouth full of chocolate heaven, raised an eyebrow to ask her mother what was wrong.

"You and Jeven are really in love, I can tell." Iris was serious now. "You glow when you talk about him. He's a good man who treats you right." Tears welled in her eyes. She took a deep breath and removed her necklace. It was the necklace that held the replica of her mom's wedding ring.

Dawn got nervous. Iris never took off that necklace, it was her prized possession. Iris took Dawn's hand and placed the necklace in it. The first tear rolled down her cheek as Dawn looked at the gold band. "I want you to have this." Iris said, her voice breaking.

"Mom-"

"Dawn, I've lived a long, happy life. I'm sick now and I know my time is coming."

Dawn winced at the mention of the inevitable. She look at the floor.

"It's ok, sweetheart." Iris put an arm around Dawn and pulled her close. Dawn curled her legs up onto the couch and leaned against her mother. 

"I'm finally going to be with your dad again. These past few years without him have been really hard." Iris gulped as she admitted it. She tried to hide how painful it was to a widow in front of her kids. She didn't want them to worry about her. Iris could take care of herself, she just wished her best friend was still around.

"I think about the day I met him and how it feels like a lifetime ago. Then, I remember that it nearly was. I think we've been in love since we were little kids, we just didn't know it then. In 5th grade, we took a field trip to the zoo. Papa let me wear your grandmother's wedding band after I begged him for weeks. But, I lost it on that field trip. I was so upset. For years I tried not to think about it because I'd just start crying.

But, your dad had this replica made for me as a Christmas present in 2014. Somehow, I like it even more than the original. I think it's because your dad gave it to me. Wearing it is like having a part of my mom and a part of him with me."

Iris paused to let out a few more tears. Dawn held her tight and Iris returned to pressure. 

"When your dad went into the speedforce for six months, I thought I would never see him again. I was scared he might be dead. We were supposed to get married in just a few months and I watched him walk into the unknown. His last words to me before going in were, "keep running". He wanted me to be strong and the only way I could was by thinking about those words. For six months, this ring was all I had of him. I wore it around my neck and would feel the metal against my heart. It was a reminder of what your dad wanted for me. It was how I stayed sane."

Dawn and Don were speedster like their dad. She remember her parent telling her about the speedforce and her dad's experiences inside it. She never really thought about the time her dad was trapped in the speedforce prison for six months. Her mom thought it was going to be forever, that must've been hell. Dawn figured that hearing a few details about a difficult experience was a lot more different than surviving one. She looked and Iris and her heart filled with pride. She admired her mom more than ever.

"Now that he's truly gone, I've clung to this in hopes of clinging to him. I realize now that an object isn't how I'm going to remember your dad. I'll always remember all the joys and struggles we shared. I'll always remember his smile, his eyes, his kind heart, the way he'd gone off on these nerdy rants about stuff, the way he looked at me, and the way did everything he could to care of you and your brother.

He was the greatest love and the greatest person I've ever known. The thought of being with him again is why I'm not afraid of death. The cancer is getting worse, I know it won't be long. And I'm ok with that, I've kept him waiting long enough."

Iris wiped a tear off Dawn. She placed the necklace around Dawn's neck. Dawn looked down at it and then at Iris.

"I thought you wanted to be buried with this?" Dawn asked. 

"I thought I did too, but how is it going to help anyone in a grave. I won't need it anymore, but you might. Let it remind you of us and all the good times we've had as a family."

"I love you, mom!"

"I love you too."

They embraced. When they pulled apart, Iris brought tissue for the two of them. 

"Now, go on your date." Iris nudged Dawn and smiled. "I'm dying soon, but not tonight."


End file.
